


Emotions

by Anubis_The_Caretaker



Series: Shen Zed week 2018 [7]
Category: League of Legends
Genre: Angst, M/M, Revelations, Role Reversal, Shen broke, Zed is emotional
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-17
Updated: 2018-06-17
Packaged: 2019-05-24 14:58:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14956817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anubis_The_Caretaker/pseuds/Anubis_The_Caretaker
Summary: Zed has taken over the duties of the Eye of Twilight after Shen has killed his own father and ran off to find his own purpose.





	Emotions

**Author's Note:**

> Day 7 for Shen/Zed week - role reversal  
> I don't know where I was going with this really, but I wrote it and its here and I can't take it back now.

“Zed, Zed are you even listening to me?” Akali’s voice rand in his ear and he shook his head turning to face her.

“Yeah, yeah of course,” Zed responded with a mumbled turning to stare off into the distance again, in reality the Eye of Twilight was doing the exact opposite of listening.

Akali rolled her eyes,”I will come back later when you aren’t distracted, you really should be more focused on what is right in front of you,” She commented a huff before going about her day as usual.

Zed sat quietly in the small in room, ever since Shen had taken the temple from his father and the Kinkou Zed had been forced to travel away from is to fulfill his duty. Being the Eye of Twilight was hard enough, especially when you were forced to fill the position because the original was killed by his own son, it didn’t help that he was now constantly on the run from the other man.

A ray from the setting sun made its way through the curtains of the small window in the room, making its way slowly across the floor of the room.

“You should be more aware of your surroundings Zed, maybe then Akali wouldn’t get so irritated with you,” the voice carried from the shadows, startling Zed who turned to face the direction it had came from, standing slowly as Shen appeared.

“Maybe you shouldn’t assume that I wasn’t aware of what she was saying, just disinterested,” Zed responded crossing his arms as he watched shadows dance around his rival and former friend.

“Should have paid better attention in training,” Shen commented with a smirk, crossing his own arms.

Zed shook his head,”Maybe you should have accepted your responsibility,” he retorted with a loud sigh shaking his head,”Then we wouldn’t be standing here as rivals.”

“You let my father’s words corrupt you, there is no balance in this world,” Shen stated standing tall at the words,”My father was wrong when will you see that?”

“Your own mind has tricked you Shen, as well as the box that the shadows come from,” Zed responded,”I can never go to that which had lied to me such as you.”

Still sitting on the ground Zed readjusted slightly, resting his hands in his lap as he looked up at Shen waiting for his response. This was the normal routine anymore, Zed would move to a new place, Shen would follow and try to convince him the error of his ways, they would fight and then Zed would move again.

Something felt off as Shen did not respond to the comment sitting down in front of Zed instead and meeting his gaze, both men sitting quietly keeping each others gaze as if the first one to look away was weak. 

“You always were ambitious,” Shen finally broke the silence turning away,”Full of passion and emotion, you still are.”

“How am I supposed to take that Shen? You have practically no emotions left to feel? Is that what I am supposed to get out of that?” Zed asked each question without a pause in between the words new to his ears and confusing to his mind.

“No, it means that balance lies to those who are supposed to take over,” Shen responded softly as he stood once more, sunlight no longer coming through the window, leaving shadows to wrap around the small room,”Because I was taught to have no judgement that would be swayed by those emotions, that I would be cold and fair to all those involved, and here you are with all of that ambition and emotion my father told me not to have.”

Zed looked up at Shen wide eyed and shocked, his words sticking in his throat his mouth opening to comment but nothing coming out. Slowly he stood so he could look at Shen face to face his breathing short as his mind worked out the details of the statement.

“My father lied, true balance can never be a thing,” Shen whispered shaking his head, pointing a finger at Zed,”and you prove it by standing there in front of me as the Eye of Twilight, the keeper of balance.”

“Shen,” Zed forced the name out of his mouth,”I… never knew,” each word was a struggle for him to say and he was having a hard time wrapping his mind around the concept of it all.

“My father always liked you more anyway,” Shen huffed and turned away running a hand through his hair,”His ‘star’ student, I made it easier by leaving its not like I could have ever truly been devoid of emotion with you there anyway.”

“What.. what do you mean?” Zed asked, confused as to what the other man could have meant by that,”You killed your father, why didn’t you just kill me then?” 

“You are an idiot Zed,” Shen stated taking a few steps towards the window before turning to face him, his hands quietly working to open the window as he continued to speak,”I can’t kill you.”

“Why not!?” Zed asked raising his voice and taking a step forward, he could kill the other man but that would be wrong, he could feel it in the pit of his stomach the two of them were tied together on many levels,”Tell me why you left me with this burden Shen!” 

“Because as I said I would never be able to take the mantle I was supposed to take, and you becoming the Eye of Twilight proves my point more than anything else, I do not have this ‘balance my father always spoke off, I couldn’t,” Shen responded with a sigh, leaning back against the windowsill.

“I don’t get what you are saying Shen!” Zed hissed, clearly getting irritated with the other man,”I… You are cold and emotionless towards everyone, that means nothing! It isn’t balance to feel nothing, it’s balance to learn how to control it.”

“Then it must be balance that the only person to make me feel any emotion in the one who took the spot I was supposed to take,” Shen responded simply, bowing his head in defeat,”You Zed are the reason I can not be emotionless, and I don’t know whether to thank you or hate you for that.”

“I… that can’t be true,” Zed whispered, his voice no longer holding the same force behind them,”I can’t be that person to you, we have never done anything but fight and cause issues.

“Issues caused by desires I cannot hide any longer,” Shen responded with a sigh,”Now that you know that though, I will take my leave, I leave you with this information in hope that you will join me,” Shen finished with the slight bow of his head as he let himself fall backwards out of the window, the shadows consuming him as he fell out of sight.

“Shen,” Zed whispered scrambling over to the window to look down at the ground where Shen had landed safely,”Please don’t leave it like this.”

Shen glanced up at him smirking before disappearing into the night, leaving Zed alone with his thoughts, and what felt like a hole that had been torn opened up in his heart.


End file.
